City councillors pushed for speed limits to be cut sooner in residential neighbourhoods Wednesday, saying widespread support is obvious.

But city officials also agreed to re-examine speed limits on Edmonton’s arterial roads after Ward 1 Coun. Andrew Knack argued higher speeds on main thoroughfares supports the efficient movement of goods and services.

Residents can expect to see city staff sharing research, answering questions and gathering public feedback at festivals, schools and shopping centres starting this summer. Officials expect the province to give Edmonton the ability to set its own default speed limit in the new city charters, a document expected to be released for public comment this summer.

“We need to escalate our consultation and get this done sooner rather than later,” said Ward 3 Coun. Dave Loken, during an intense debate at Wednesday’s urban planning committee.

A recent public survey found 62 per cent of respondents were in favour of reducing speeds on local roads. On Wednesday, three residents spoke to urban planning committee in favour of speed reduction on local roads, whether that’s a reduction to 30 kilometres per hour or 40 km/h. A 30 kilometre per hour limit would match what’s now in place outside of schools.

“My kids don’t magically transport themselves from my door to the school zone,” said Queen Alexandra resident Julie Kusiek, speaking as she carried a baby on her front and supervised three daughters colouring quietly at the back of the room.

But the plan also needs to recognize that neighbourhoods are all different, she said. A lower speed limit is more important where the city is making investments in sidewalks and supporting a higher density of people and amenities, encouraging more people to walk.

City branch manager Gord Cebryk said the speed conversation will also examine streets such as Whyte Avenue and Jasper Avenue, which are currently given the same transportation designation as 137 Avenue or Calgary Trail but has many more pedestrians.

It won’t touch speeds on Anthony Henday Drive, which is a provincial responsibility. His team is scheduled to report back to council on its public engagement in January 2018.

Last week, Ward 11 Coun. Mike Nickel suggested this would be a good question to include as a plebiscite on the October ballot. On Wednesday, Ward 9 Coun. Bryan Anderson also expressed interest in that but said it would be challenging to come up with the right question.

Other councillors suggested a public engagement effort that gets more research and data to people as it asks for feedback would be a better approach.

Live coverage from Wednesday’s debate

This Week's Flyers

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.